Healthy Homemade Gingerbread Cookies + Giveaway

This post was written in partnership with my friends at Made with Local. As always, all opinions are my own!

The holidays are fast approaching, and a big part of the fun is…you guessed it—treats!!! Some of our all-time favourite Christmas treats are things like Nanaimo bars, homemade chocolate truffles and gingerbread cookies, YUM.

But when the season of treat-eating starts at the beginning of December—because you know it does—that means a lot of extra sugar, saturated fat and empty calories filling our bellies (and our little ones’ bellies), which can displace other nutrient dense choices.

Hey—I’m all about celebrating with yummy food, trust me! But sometimes the sugar-fest that is Christmas can get a little out of control.

So this year, along with our traditional favourite family treats, we’re making some healthy holiday gingerbread men (or women) that are perfect for snacks, treats, and even holiday gifts. And the best part is that the whole family can enjoy them—even your little ones—because they pack in a lot of nutrition, and minimal added sugar.

We’re using our favourite mix—the Real Food Bar Mix by Made with Local—that contains nutrient-dense oats, dried fruit and seeds, and then adding some a few nutritious ingredients and then maybe doing a little bit of decorating afterwards for fun. I have to admit, I let the decorating get a bit out of control (as you’ll see in the video below), and although it sort of defeated the purpose of the low sugar cookies, it was pretty fun. For your toddlers, I would keep the icing and sprinkles to a minimum 😉

Make sure you watch until the end to learn how to win your own case of Real Food Bar Mix to make these delicious and nutritious cookies.

Combine (list all ingredients) in a large bowl and mix with a handmixer or by hand. Spread mixture onto wax or parchment paper so it’s about ½ inch thick. On a hard surface (like a cookie sheet), place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cookie batter from the freezer, and – with a small gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out your cookies, place them each on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Allow to cool and then let your kids help you decorate!

Serve them with a glass of milk as a snack, as a treat after a meal, or give them as gifts!

To win enter to win a case Real Food Bar Mix for your family, leave a comment below about how you’re planning to control the holiday sugar fest in your house! Contest closes December 5th. Or if you simply want to order some mix now, you can visit Made with Local’s Website now and use the code Sarah20 to get 20% your first order!

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Comments

We don’t keep a lot of sugary foods around, but when we make cookies, my boys are able to eat them. They are also able to listen to their bodies when it comes to “treats,” so I’m more relaxed about sugar during the holidays.

These look so good! I can’t wait to try these. I like to have one “treat” food every day for a snack. My go-to has been Lara Bars or Kind Bars – these look like a good snack during coffee break, and I think the house will smell great while these are baking.

I love holiday baking (and eating it) but honestly, it will be controlled very much this year due to the fact we have a newborn. My toddler loves cookies, but has learned when her “belly is full” so we will mix treats along with our regular healthy meals. Would love to try these gingerbread cookies!